Lieutenant Sacco Nazloomian enlisted in the Army Reserve following the attacks of September 11, 2001. Before the war he was an editor at Technicolor Studios in Hollywood, CA. Believing it to be a citizen’s obligation to bear part of the peril and burden of war, he tendered his service to the Army Reserve. Combat Camera was the obvious choice as it coincides with his profession. However, he wanted to be on the ground making a difference—not an observer from behind a lens. Civil Affairs—the branch that works to reshape provincial, municipal and political environments by assessing and managing infrastructure projects—appealed to him.

In the spring of 2003 he took a leave from Technicolor to attend Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood followed by the 16-week long Civil Affairs course at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg. He found himself—within a year—on a PRT (Provincial Reconstruction Team) putting his newly acquired skills to work in the war ravaged province of Najaf, Iraq. He personally took charge of the rebuilding of the 2nd largest hospital in the country —located in the city of Najaf—in addition to a number of roads, bridges, schools, banks, and an internet cafe. Long days consisted of inspecting job sites, preparing assessments, outlining future projects, hiring contractors and preparing daily situation reports. The work was physically and emotionally taxing but also remarkably rewarding in that he was able to affect a positive difference in the lives of others.

Following his tour overseas he attended UCSB to secure a degree in Global Studies—an interdisciplinary major—with an emphasis on Politics and Culture of the Middle East. In addition he joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps. It was fitting given his recent experience as he wanted to know much more about the increasing interconnectedness between the socioeconomic and political aspects of globalization and the Middle East. He graduated in June of 2007 with a Bachelors Degree and a Commission as a Military Intelligence Officer.

Lieutenant Nazloomian’s decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terror Service Medal. Lieutenant Nazloomian originally from Los Angeles, California is currently the Assistant Professor of Military Science at the University of California Santa Barbara.